Protective headgear



Nov. 17, 1964 Filed Aug. 17, 1961 E. R. DYE

PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDWARD R. DYE.

Nov. 17,1964 E. R. DYE 3,156,921

PRQTECTIVE HEADGEAR Filed Aug. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGA H55 a MW Mag VENTOR EDWARD R. DYE

ATTORNEY,

United States Patent 3,156,921 PRTETIVE HEADGEAR Edward R. Dye, Grchard Park, N.Y., assignor to Pulmosau Safety Equipment Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,125 3 Claims. (Cl. 2--3) This invention relates to headgear and, more particularly, to a protective helmet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective helmet having highly desirable protective features, and which will Withstand substantial stress and mm pact forces without transmission thereof to the head supporting the same.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a protective helmet which can be readily worn by persons having different head sizes, without adjustment for such size differentials.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-size protective helmet of the type described which is completely ventilated to facilitate the passage of air through the interior of the helmet, without sacrificing the protective and adjustable size features thereof.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a protective helmet made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the helmet shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a skull piece and mounting cable forming a part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line t-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a headband forming another part of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a slightly modified form of skull piece.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 6 thereof, a protective helmet 19 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a substantially rigid outer shell 1.2 constructed from any suitable material capable of withstanding high impact forces. This shell 12 includes a brim 14 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart anchor studs 16 secured thereto by nuts 18.

The heads of the anchor bolts 16 serve as anchors for spaced apart portions of a catenary cable 20 secured to spaced apart peripheral portions of a skull piece 24- by means of re-entrant tabs 22 as is clearly shown in FIG. 3. This skull piece is adapted to rest upon the upper part of the head of the wearer to provide vertical support as well as support from olf-vertical forces which might be applied to the helmet at an angle as great as 45 from the vertical.

This unique omnidirectional feature of the skull piece is provided by satisfying the principle that a normal force on a spherical or near spherical surface (such as the head) must be balanced by stresses in straps or straplike elements of a continuous suspension system which act in a great circle plane passing through the point of application of the force. This great circle support principle is accomplished to some extent on part of the head by one system explained in Patent No. 2,679,046, in which the straps or elements are shaped in great circles over the head surface.

3,156,921 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 "ice Skull piece 24 provides an omnidirectional forceresistant feature in an entirely different and more complete manner. The skull piece is essentially a cap constructed in such a manner that the force-resistant components of the cap are arranged in two gridiron systems, with one system rotated at approximately to the other. The general double gridiron system provides a multiplicity of load resistant components that make angles with the adjacent member of not to exceed 45. Thus, over the entire surface under the skull piece, elements 26 are provided to furnish stress components for the great circle major forces.

It is obvious that this double gridiron system of suspension elements, in which one system is at a 45 bias with the other, can be constructed in several methods: For one example, by the use of two pieces of cloth, one superimposed and attached to the other at a bias of approximately 45; for another example, by the use of a continuous sheet of high strength plastic in which ventilating holes may be made in shapes to leave the remaining material 26 in the direction of the prescribed 45 bias grid.

The tabs 22 may be formed in any desired manner to securely mount the cable 20, thus forming a series of catenaries which serve as a vertical suspension for the outer shell upon the head of the wearer.

A head band 28 having depending mounting tabs 30 with slots 32 and upstanding guide tabs 34, is mounted within the interior of the head-receiving section of the outer shell 12 by inserting the slotted tabs 30 into secured engagement with the anchor studs 16, as shown in FIG. 2.

A plurality of cushion elements 36, of generally trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration, and preferably formed from foam material, such as polyurethene or rubber foam, are mounted at circumferentially spaced apart portions to the interior of the head band 28. Each of these cushion elements 36 is also preferably enclosed within a thin layer of leather 38, for improving comfort to the wearer during use.

It will now be noted that the head band 28 forms a head-receiving area which is larger than the largest head ize to be accommodated, whereas the innermost surfaces of the cushion elements 36 define a head-receiving area which is smaller than the smallest head size to be accommodated. Thus, when the helmet is applied to a head between the minimum and maximum sizes anticipated, the cushion elements 36 will compress slightly, thus accommodating such head sizes and centrally positioning the helmet upon the head. The space between each of the elements 36 forms an air passageway for circulating air through the interior of the helmet during use.

With reference now to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of skull piece 4%) is shown wherein the central portion 42 may also have cutouts for reducing the weight thereof and improving the circulation of air therethrough. In addition, the periphery of the skull piece is provided with a reentrant head 44 having a constricted space 45 into which the cable 20 may be inserted. This form of skull piece 40 facilitates the replacement of one cable 20 in a simple and convenient manner.

It will now be recognized that an extremely versatile, fully protective, and comfortable helmet has been pro vided which may be used for a variety of purposes. While the form of helment shown in the drawing is of the type generally used by construction and industrial workers, it is to be understood that the features of the present invention are equally applicable to other forms of protective headgear, as for instance, helmets used by sports participants, military, law enforcement and aeronautical personnel and others;

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understoodithat such is not to be construed as impartinglimitations upon the invention which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A protective helmet comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid outer shell having a central enlarged head-receiving section and a peripheral brim, a skull piece located within and spaced apart from the outer shell for supported engagement upon a head, a flexible cable, circumferentially spaced apart peripheral portions of said skull piece having mounting portions for secured engagement upon spaced apart portions of said cable, anchor means carried by spaced apart portions of said brim supporting said cable intermediate said mounting portions of said skull piece, a head band mounted upon said anchor means within saidouter shell for projecting inwardly into the interior of said head-receiving section for engagement with the sides of the head of the wearer, said skull piece comprising a head-conforming skull plate having a plurality of apertures reducing the weight thereof and allowing the circulation of air therethrough, said peripheral mounting portions of said skull piece comprising segmental arcuate segments having reentrant tab portions receiving and freely embracing said spaced apart portions of said cable, and intermediate portions of said cable extending around said anchor means to form a series of it catenaries along the length of said cable and between adjacent ones of said anchor means.

2. A protective helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said head band comprises a substantially annular band having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart eX- tensions secured to said anchor means.

3. A protective helmet as set forth in claim 2, wherein said head band further comprises a plurality of deformable elastic cushion elements secured to cncumferentially spaced apart portions of said annular band projecting into said head receiving section of said shell, said annular band being larger than the largest head size to be accommodated, and the head receiving area defined by the innermost portions of said cushion elements in a normal position smaller than the smallest head to be accommodated, whereby the placement of said helmet upon a headintermediate said largest and smallest sizes effects at least partial compression of said cushion elements, each one of said cushion elements comprising a pad of generally trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration within the plane of said brim, and a flexible covering enveloping each said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 7, 1892 

1. A PROTECTIVE HELMET COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID OUTER SHELL HAVING A CENTRAL ENLARGED HEAD-RECEIVING SECTION AND A PERIPHERAL BRIM, SKULL PIECE LOCATED WITHIN AND SPACED APART FROM THE OUTER SHELL FOR SUPPORTED ENGAGEMENT UPON A HEAD, A FLEXIBLE CABLE, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APART PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID SKULL PIECE HAVING MOUNTING PORTIONS FOR SECURED ENGAGEMENT UPON SPACED APART PORTIONS OF SAID CABLE, ANCHOR MEANS CARRIED BY SPACED APART PORTIONS OF SAID BRIM SUPPORTING SAID CABLE INTERMEDIATE SAID MOUNTING PORTIONS OF SAID SKULL PIECE, A HEAD BAND MOUNTED UPON SAID ANCHOR MEANS WITHIN SAID OUTER SHELL FOR PROJECTING INWARDLY INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HEAD-RECEIVING SECTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SIDES OF THE HEAD OF THE WEARER, SAID SKULL PIECE COMPRISING A HEAD-CONFORMING SKULL PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES REDUCING THE WEIGHT THEREOF AND ALLOW- 